“If human values take root in the educational system, the emerging individuals will have the following attributes: they will want peace & justice in a world that acknowledges the rule of law and in which no nation or individual need live in fear; freedom and self reliance to be available to all; the dignity & work of every person to be recognized & safeguarded; all people to be given an opportunity to achieve their best in life; and they will seek equality before the law and the equality of opportunity for all.”

Unfortunately, the scheme of strengthening education in human values (EHV) appears to have very little planned the picture seemed different in the country’s educational institutions besides launch of policies and programmes. The central legislations has failed at the very beginning. The NCERT as a central resource centre for value education resulted futile, as the agency has failed at the very essence to reach the target. Mere publications on the part of National resource centre on value education by the NCERT at the centre will not serve the purpose.

The organization of teacher training seminars at national level is not a remedy to re-exhibit the values among so called teachers and people in governance. The teachers need to be taught the basic ethics as to how to talk and act with the learning posterity. The monitoring and training resource centres at local level may prove herculean for inculcation of value among all the people. Moreover, A draft curriculum for teacher training acknowledges several problems in preparing teachers properly for the classroom and imbibe in them values.

Historically. Education about India’s common cultural heritage has been identified in para 3.4 of National Policy on Education as one of the core areas under the National System of Education. The common core will include the history of India’s freedom movement, the constitutional obligations and other content essential to nurture national identity. These elements will cut across subject areas and will be designed to promote values such as India’s common cultural heritage, egalitarianism, democracy and secularism, equality of the sexes, protection of the environment, removal of social barriers, and observance of the small family norm and inculcation of the scientific temper.

The National Policy on Education (para 8.4 and 8.5) has laid
considerable emphasis on value education by highlighting the need to make
education a forceful tool for cultivation of social and moral values.
A Central Sector- Scheme of Assistance to Agencies for Strengthening Culture/Art/ Values in Education and for Assistance to Educational Institutions implementing Innovative Programme was formulated in 1987-88. It provided for financial assistance on 100% basis to projects/proposals screened by duly constituted Grants-in-Aid Committee of the Ministry. In July 1990, a decision was taken in the Ministry to set up a working group to review the scheme to make it more purposeful. Accordingly, a working group was constituted with the officers.

Of the Ministry and experts from premier resource institutions of the country
engaged in strengthening cultural and artistic inputs in education.

Nevertheless, In January 1997, the Government of India entrusted to Tata Institute of Social Science, Bombay (TISS) a project of an evaluation study of the working of the scheme. TISS submitted a report in April, 1999 which recommended for continuation of the scheme which should have essential components like involvement of community and evolving teaching strategies for a lasting impact on students. The scheme was given adequate publicity. Services of District Institute of Education and Training (DIETs), State Council of Educational Research and training, (SCERT) Panchayat etc was effectively utilized. The report was examined in the Department and it was agreed that the scheme can be continued.

The Department related Parliamentary Standing Committee in its 81st Report under Shri S. B. Chavan has also recommended that Education should highlight multifaceted development of human beings and the programme of Education in Human Values (EHV) should be built around core universal human values like Truth, Love, Peace, Righteous Conduct and Non-Violence. The focus of value education should be more at primary stage through stories/folk songs/folklores/skits/flip charts/film strips National Cadet Corps (NCC), Scouts and Guides need to be promoted. The committee stressed that the teacher who has an important role should be encouraged to initiate innovative methods of values education to students.

Interestingly, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) functioning as National Resource Centre for the programme of Education in Human Values. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and other autonomous organizations and other institutions collaborated with and assisted NCERT in development of the National Resource Centre’s In the present times of unprecedented changes dislocating traditional values and creating conflict between traditional and new values there is a universal concern in respect of erosion of values, promoting values and culture which fit in with the needs of the modern times. This concern is universal but is more acute for our country which has leads its own distinct culture, worked view and a living value tradition.

The process of developing in to a modern nation, with new social, political and economic institutions, and with emphasis on science and technology, has thrown up many new values ? Challenges in all areas of our national life. It is important that we examine these challenges and prepare our youth to face and resolve them.

In this regard, Government agreed that SCERTs will function as value Education Centre for training of in-service teachers. In those States where the work of SCERT is performed by the State Board of Education, the later will be designated as Value Education Centers for training of in-Service teachers in Value Education. Reputed NGOs, which have proven track record of working in the area of education, culture, values and transmission of culture. The assistance under this scheme was 100 per cent for all project/ programme taken up for implementation subject to a ceiling of Rs. 10.00 lakhs per annum for a project. Resource Centres and Value Education. It was decided by the government that recource Centres may be sanctioned more than Rs. 10.00 lakhs with the approval of Grant-in-aid Committee (GIAC). Resource Centres for Value Education may be given a grant upto Rs. 30.00 lakhs for augmentation of their functional resources and pedagogic infrastructure. Besides islands of initiatives by Government Of India, the Scheme for strengthening has concentrated only in few locations thereby failed to achieve the desired objective.

The researchers observed that teachers would be more effective if they balance love and care more judiciously while interacting with students. While firmness is necessary, love must play a dominant role in handling students; love and sub-values like sympathy and kindness must get precedence over maintaining silence and order in the class. In this context, there is a school that practices such an approach successfully; the SVV School at Vandalur, Chennai, run by the old students of the Sri Sathya Sai Women’s College at Anantapur. The confidence displayed by these under privileged rural children testifies to the success of their EHV programme. Department of Education, Government of India had announced that value education would be introduced in schools and colleges starting with IIT, Delhi. A lot has happened thereafter, and governments have changed; a war has been fought; and that resolve seems to have been forgotten! We are now quarrelling over quixotic issues like text errata. Inculcating human values in children is the crying need of the hour. The rest of the world is making quiet strides by following the lead shown by Indian educationists. One wonders when our government will wake up.

But you know, as in the Sathya Sai School in Thailand, many teachers come from many places. They are not devotees. But then, when they come close to the children who are full of love, they become transformed. And when children go back home, they transform the parents. So, in this way, the society is getting transformed. That’s why it is very important that we work hard to set up Sathya Sai schools as model schools in the country like ours.

The country’s educationists and policy makers should learn the lesson from Sathya Sai School system to re-imbibe human values among her children. (NAK)